Continuous strip pickling and cleaning device



April 7, 1942. F J, WOOD v2,279,217

CONTINUOUS STRIP IPICKIIJING AND CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet l AP ril 7, 1942. J wbo I 2,279,217

CONTINUOUS STRIP PICKLING AND CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 7, 1 942 umrso STATES 'PATENT- oFFicE2,279,217

CONTINUOUS s'rmr Home AND cmsmme DEVICE Application May 25, 1939, SerialNo. 275,705 7 3, Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in continuous strip pickling andcleaning devices, and more particularly relates to improvements in thepickling trough and acid spray for pickling the strip metal.

In pickling and cleaning devices for continuous strips of metal, wherethe metal is sprayed with pickling fluid as it passes through thepickling trough, the metal is frequently scratched while passing throughthe pickling trough. This is caused by engagement of the underside ofthe metal with the spraying nozzles and the welds at the joints betweenthe trough sections. Another dimculty which has been encountered-is thatpickling troughs have usually been made of an acid resisting steel, toprevent their attack by the pickling fluid, and when they are weldedtogether or when the nozzles are secured to the trough by welding, theheat of welding changes the structure of the steel around the weld andrenders the joints and areas around the nozzle less resistant to attackby the pickling fluid.

The principal objects of my invention are to remedy these diflicultiesby providing a novel form of pickling trough having the spraying nozzlesrecessed, below the bottom of the trough and secured thereto by meansother than welding, and having all projecting Joints which might scratchthe metal disposed beneath the normal bottom of the trough.

Other objects of my invention will appear (01. 266-7) v entering and ofthe apparatus and forming a support for a coil of strip metal ll,permitting it to be unwound and passed through the cleaning apparatus. Aleveler i2 is provided in advance of said coil supporting box andconsists of a plurality of power driven leveling rolls l3, l3 engagingopposite sides of the metal, for leveling.

and breaking the scale on the metal, before thecleaning operation, in amanner well known to those skilled in the art. A pickling bath isprovided in advance of said leveler and, as herein show includes apickling and cleaning tank i5 having a pickling trough l6 disposedthereabove and extending therealong. Said picklingtrough is providedwith a plurality of nozzles i'l, ll

spaced therealong for spraying the metal with pickling fluid as itpasses through said trough. Said nozzles and pickling trough will hereinbe more clearly described as this specification proceeds. A squeegeeand. brushing stand IS, ineluding squeegee rolls 20, 20 and brushingrolls 2|, 2| disposed therebetween, is disposed inadvance of saidcleaning trough for removing the loosened scale and other foreignmatter, which has been attacked by the pickling solution, from themetal, by scrubbing with water. From said cleaning and brushing stand,the metal may pass through a drier 22 to a coiler 23 which recoils themetal and aids in pulling it through the system.

Said coil supporting box, leveler, squeegee andfrom time to time as thefollowing specification proceeds, and with reference to the accompany--ing drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a' diagrammatic plan view of a con tinuous strip picklingand cleaning apparatus having a pickling trough constructed in'accordance with my invention as a part thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view in side elevation of a part of apickling trough constructed in accordance with my invention, withcertain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in longitudinalsection;

Figure 3 is an enlarged end view of the trough;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the trough drawn to substantially the samescale as re 2, with parts of the cover therefor broken away;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view takensubstantially along line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line6-6 of Figure 5.

In the drawings, the continuous strip pickling and cleaning deviceembodying my invention inbrushing stand, drier and coiler are only shownin an illustrative form since they form no part of the present inventionexcept in so far as the apparatusof the present invention may be a partof an entire pickling system.

Referring now in particular tothe details of" the pickling trough l6,said trough is mounted above the pickling and cleaning tank IS onsupporting frame members 25, 25, extending across 40 and herein shown asbeing mounted on the upper edges of said pickling and cleaning tank.

The sides of said trough are inclined upwardly and inwardly from thebottom to form a restricted open top of smaller area than the bottom, to

reduce the tendency 'of the pickling fluid to splash out of the trough,and to permit the sides of the trough to forma guide for the widerstrips of metal. A cover 26 closes the top of said trough.

The pickling trough I6 is preferably constructed of an acid resistingsheet material such as stainless steel,.and in view of its length, whichis usually around 60 feet, is of a sectional con-'- struction with thesections thereof'welded together.. For strength, these welds usuallyprocludes a coil supporting box It disposed at the i t a ove the bott mof the trough and form an said branches upwardly projecting surfacewhich scratches the underside of the metal as it passes therethrough,and which also weakens the metal at the' weld and renders it subject toattack by the pickling fluid. In the form of trough shown, the bottom ofthe trough at the junction point between the trough sections is bentdownwardly with a smooth curve at the bend thereof, to form a dependingflange 29 (see Figure "2).

These flanges of adjacent sections are then placed in abutting relationwith respect to each other, and may either be bolted or welded together.In welding, the entire weld is disposed beneath the bottom of the troughto. provide asmooth path along the bottom of the trough to preventscratching of the metal. Also, since the weld is beneath the bottom ofthe trough, a greater part of the heat in the metal during welding is inthe depending flanges 29, 29, which reduces the liability of the heat ofthe weld to change the structure of the trough at the point where r itis in engagement with the pickling fluid. The

abutting edgesof the trough, along the sides thereof, may be weldedtogether by line welding to form a fluid-tight joint between the troughsections. It should herein be noted that the line weld of the sidesis'relatively small, and this weldirm'does not heat the ends of thetrough sufficiently to noticeably change the structure of the steel.Likewise, these welds being on the sides of the trough cannot scratchthe metal.

Referring. now to the novel manner in which the nozzles I I, II aremounted in the bottom of the pickling trough IS, the bottom of saidpickling trough is provided with a plurality of de-' said nozzle withrespect to said trough. Said nozzle is likewise provided with a flangedupper portion 34, which is engaged with the top of the dished in portion30 .by a flanged collar 85 engaging the underside of said dished inportion.

Said collar is threaded on said nozzle and engages the underside of thedepressed portion 31 of said trou'gh. Said nozzle may be directed in anydesired direction by loosening the collar 35 and turningsaid nozzleabout a vertical axis, so as to spray fluid on the bottom of the metalin the direction of travel of the metal through the pickling trough, orin an opposite direction, if

desired.

Pickling fluid is conducted to the' nozzles ll, ll by means ofa pipe 36extending along the I bottom of said tank and having flanged branches3', 38 adapted to be engaged with the bottom of lower flanged portions39, 39 of said nozzles. A

" retaining collar 40 engages the top of said lower flanged portions,and suitable nuts and bolts ll,

abutting the underside of the flange of the flanged branch 38, areadapted to securely engage with said nozzles (see Figures 5 and 6).

It may be seen from the foregoing that a new and improved constructionof pickling trough and spraying nozzle therefor has been provided, whicheliminates all nozzles projecting upwardll, extending through saidcollar and a collar 42 trough'as to be readily adjustable to spray inany desired direction.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my inventionmay be embodied,

it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangementof the various parts may be altered without departing from the spiritand scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed aslimiting myself to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as itmay be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a continuous strip pickling and cleaning device, a pickling troughhaving a relatively fiat bottom surface along which a strip of metal.is, adapted to pass, said bottom surface having a depressed portionformed therein, and a spraying nozzle mounted in said depressed portionout of the path of travel of the metal through said trough and openinginto said pickling trough for spraying the underside of the metal withpickling .fluid as it passes therethrough, said nozzle having adepending portion extending through the bottom of said depressedportion, and means engaging said nozzle and the under side of saidtrough for holding said nozzle in said depressed portion thereof so itstop surface is wholly beneath the bottom portion of said trough whichdefines the upper margin of said depressed portion. I V

2. In 'a continuous strip pickling and cleaning.

device, a picklingtrough through which a strip of metal is adapted topass, said trough being formed from-an acid resisting metal and beingprovided with a plurality of depressed apertured portions longitudinallyspaced along its bottom, a spraying nozzle mounted in each 01" saiddepressed portions and opening into said trough, the upper extremitiesof said nozzles being disposed beneath the path of travel of the metalthrough said troughand wholly beneath the bottom portions of said troughwhich define the upper margins of said depressed portions, and each ofsaid nozzles having a portion engaging the upper side of said depressedportion and having a body depending therefrom and extending through theopening defined by said apertured portion, and means engaging said bodyportion of said nozzle and the underside of said depressed portion, forholding the portion of said nozzle engaging the upper side of saiddepressed portion in engagement with said depressed portion and securingsaid nozzle to said depressed portion in such a manner as to permit saidnozzle to be adjustably moved about a vertical axis so said nozzle maybe adjusted to spray fluid into said trough in various desireddirections.

3. In a continuous strip pickling and cleaning device, a pickling troughthrough which a strip of metal is adapted to pass, said trough beingformed from an acid resisting metal and being.

provided with a plurality of depressed apertured portions longitudinallyspaced along its bottom, a spraying nozzle mounted in each of saiddepressed portions and opening into said trough, the upper extremitiesof said nozzles being disposed beneath the path of travel 'of the metalthrough the opening defined by said aperturedportion for holding theportion of said nozzle enportion, and a collar threaded on said body andadapted to engage the underside of said depressed gaging the upper sideof said depressed portion in engagement with said depressed portion, tor

securing said nozzle to said depressed portion in such a manner as topermit said nozzle to be adjustably moved about a vertical axis so saidnozzle may be adjusted to spray fluid into said trough in variousdesired directions.

I FRANK J. WOOD.

